London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 06, 2026

Cost of living: 'Prices go up and nothing extra is coming in'

Cost of living: 'Prices go up and nothing extra is coming in'

Cost of living increases are hitting families across Britain in different ways. The BBC talked to families in Heanor, in Derbyshire, who are feeling the pinch.
'Nothing extra is coming in'
Mum Kerry Oxley says her variable rate mortgage has increased


"At the minute, we are having to really cut back and just have the basics," said Kerry Oxley, an accountant who works in Derby, who said she has noticed a dramatic rise in her family's bills over the past few months.

"Our mortgage has gone up such a lot," she said.

"We've had our mortgage for over 10 years now and not really noticed much difference and, all of a sudden, it's rising quite a lot on a variable rate."

She called on government ministers to take action on the issue.

"They've got to intervene at some point because everything is going up and wages aren't increasing to match it," she said.

"Everything is going up that's going out but nothing extra is coming in."

'You have to look at everything'
Pat Carter said the cost of petrol was restricting her use of her car


Pat Carter, who is retired, said she had reined in her car use in recent months.

"The car isn't going as far because of the petrol and everything like that," she said.

"Our electric bill is horrendous.

"Food, everywhere, supermarkets, just ridiculous.

"You know, you just have to cave on everything, you have to look at everything you're doing at the moment."

'You have to think twice about what you buy'
Chris Oxley said he had to think carefully about buying stock for his business


Chris Oxley, who runs a plant nursery, said rising prices mean he is having to make careful decisions about his business.

"You have to think twice about what you buy and the prices of stuff," he said.

"The price of plants is going up because we import from Holland - it's horrendous.

"I grow a lot of my own stuff, so I'm lucky.

"Your water rates are going up, your electric is going up.

"Obviously people aren't going to pay twice the price for what you sold them last year.

"You've got to put them up a little bit and hope you come through it."

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has said he will be looking to support families, as well as invest in the economy in his Spring Statement, due later.

"With inflation and interest rates still on the rise, it's crucial that we don't allow debt to spiral and burden future generations with further debt.

"Look at our record, we have supported people - and our fiscal rules mean we have helped households while also investing in the economy for the longer term."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Green Party Faces Backlash Over Resolution Equating Zionism With Racism
Conservatives Debate Scrapping Environmental Rules for New Homes
Cornwall Insight Warns UK Energy Bills Could Approach £2,000 This Winter
UK Coach Operators Warn of Service Cuts as Diesel Prices Exceed £2
Scottish Parliament Approves £68 Billion Budget With New Tax and Property Measures
FCA Opens Independent Review Into Handling of Epstein Whistleblower
UK Government Drops Plan to Suspend Jury Trials in England and Wales
Bank of England Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Markets Watch November
Two Iranian Nationals Charged Over Alleged Plot Targeting Manchester Jewish Community
UK Fiscal Headroom Halves to £11 Billion Ahead of Budget, EY Warns
US Bomber Withdrawal From RAF Fairford Prompts UK Security Review
Sarah Wakfer Appointed Chair of Northern Ireland’s Health and Care Regulator
Scotland Housing Completions Fall to 11-Year Low Amid National Shortage
UK Water Companies Face Tougher Oversight and Unannounced Regulatory Inspections
Middle East Conflict Pushes UK Fuel and Wholesale Energy Prices Higher
Andy Burnham Raises Prospect of Second Brexit Referendum in Review of UK-EU Relations
EY Warns UK Fiscal Headroom Has Halved to £11 Billion Ahead of Autumn Budget
BT Accused of Pressuring Vulnerable Customers During Digital Landline Shift
British Carmakers Warn of Growing Pressure From EU-China Tariff Dispute
Green Party of England and Wales Adopts Motion Defining Zionism as Racism
Medical Charity Threatens NHS Legal Action Over Two-Year Autism and ADHD Assessment Waits
British Transport Police Report Record Rise in Violence on Railways
Glasgow Council Workers Face Pay Cuts Under Fire-and-Rehire Plan
British Medical Groups Press Prime Minister Andy Burnham to Cancel £330 Million Palantir NHS Contract
UK Faces Record Bluetongue Outbreak Across Livestock Farms
UK Schools Report Thousands of Child-on-Child Sexual Offences
High Court Overturns Ban Blocking Gaza Families From Reuniting With Relatives in UK
G7 Authorizes Emergency Fuel Release as UK Diesel Prices Hit £2 a Litre
France and Italy Draw 1-1 in Nations League Match
Pope Leo XIV and Prince Albert II of Monaco Meet in Metz
SNCF Expands Low-Cost Ouigo High-Speed Service Between Lyon and Bordeaux
Paris Expands Dedicated Cargo Bike Routes for Urban Deliveries
French Film Industry Pushes for Tighter Streaming Investment Rules
Marseille Court Hands Down Prison Terms in Public Procurement Corruption Case
LVMH and Kering Rely on US Demand as Chinese Luxury Spending Slows
Toulouse Aerospace Sector Launches €80 Million Modernization Fund
Javier Milei Courts French Investment in LNG and Lithium
Mistral AI Launches Sovereign Model for European Public Services
French Competition Authority Fines Retailers €40 Million Over Misleading Promotions
France Records Exceptional Electricity Exports as Nuclear Output Recovers
Dassault Aviation Expands Rafale Assembly Capacity at Mérignac
Sanofi Invests €1 Billion in New Biologics Production Hub Near Lyon
France Protests Germany’s Extension of Border Controls Into 2027
French Public-Sector and Transport Unions Threaten National Strike
France Deploys Riot Police After Violence in Lyon Suburbs
French Anti-Terrorism Prosecutors Investigate Radicalized Flydubai Co-Pilot
France’s Defense Budget Surpasses NATO’s 2% of GDP Target
French Government Faces No-Confidence Threat Over Budget
France and G7 Release 100 Million Barrels From Strategic Oil Reserves
France Convenes Emergency Defense Council Over Threats to Commercial Shipping
×